Is GoSplitty Legit? (Beware Before Booking)

Last Updated: February 18, 2024

Are you interested in making a room booking through GoSplitty due to the cheaper rates it offers but not sure whether it is a legit platform?

If so, then keep reading!

By the end of this article, you’ll know EXACTLY if GoSplitty is a legitimate booking service or a scam and what you should be aware of before booking through them.

Let’s get started.

Is GoSplitty Legit?

GoSplitty is definitely a legit online travel agency as it is owned by Holisto, one of the best emerging tech-based online travel agencies. However, booking through it carries higher risk of issues than booking directly with the hotels.

While issues can occur even if you make booking with the hotel directly, however, the chances are much lower than making a booking through GoSplitty. 

Let me explain why:

In case you don’t know, GoSplitty merely acts as a middleman between you and the hotel you booked with.

When you book through Mytrip, they collect your payment and are responsible for your booking, not the hotel you booked with since your contract is not directly with them, it is with GoSplitty.

Therefore, the hotel isn’t liable to help you directly if anything goes wrong.

In case something goes wrong and you need any help, you’ll have to reach out to GoSplitty first who will then reach out to the hotel on your behalf and then GoSplitty will get back to you.

Because of the involvement of a third party (GoSplitty), you’re most probably going to be stuck in a lot of back-and-forths between GoSplitty and the hotel you’re booked with.

And this makes the whole process of resolving your issues a bit more complicated and your issues take longer to resolve.

In the same way, making changes, particularly cancellations, and getting a refund becomes more complicated when your hotels are booked through GoSplitty since an intermediary is involved.

So that’s why the risks associated with booking a hotel through GoSplitty are high as compared to booking directly with the hotel.

Now if we talk about the drawbacks/risks associated with booking through GoSplitty, here are the major ones:

1. Reservation Issues

The biggest risk of booking a hotel through GoSplitty is the reservation issues.

Sometimes GoSplitty fails to inform your respective hotel about your reservation, resulting in no reservation or overbooking for the same room.

While at other times, the hotels also “bump” those guests who have paid the least through an online travel agency like GoSplitty and resell it to someone who has paid more directly.

And upon the arrival of the guest at the property, the hotel’s staff deceive them by denying the existence of their reservation.

Conversely, you won’t have to face any reservation issues when you’re booked directly with the hotel since no middleman is involved.

2. The Standards of The Hotel Are Out of GoSplitty’s Control

Another major risk associated with booking through GoSplitty or any other online travel agency is that the standards of hotels are out of their control since they are a 3rd party booking service.

So if you’re booked through GoSplitty and your respective hotel does not meet your expectations or it is not as exactly as shown in the listing, unfortunately, you can’t do anything.

Do not expect that you’ll reach out to GoSplitty and they will refund you or do something else.

Similarly, do not expect refunds directly from the hotel since they are not directly liable for your booking.

3. If things go wrong, it gets complicated

GoSplitty works out just fine as long as everything goes as planned and you don’t face any issue.

However, as a middleman between you and the hotel, GoSplitty can complicate any mishaps.

Your respective hotel may tell you to coordinate any issue through GoSplitty instead of offering you direct assistance.

And in return, GoSplitty may turn around and push things back to the hotel, thus leaving you stuck in the middle.

So these 3 are the major risks/drawbacks associated with booking a hotel through GoSplitty. However, you can minimize these issues by following the tips below.

With that being said, let’s conclude: Is GoSplitty Legit?

Although the risks associated with booking a hotel through GoSplitty, as far as its legitimacy is concerned, it is definitely a legit platform as it is one of the successful brands of Holisto.

For those who don’t know, Holisto is an emerging tech-based online travel agency that has been in business since 2015. 

If GoSplitty were a scam, GoSplitty and its parent company (Holisto) probably wouldn’t be around today.

Apart from that, Holisto has raised a total of $9.3 million funds from 11 venture capital firms and if GoSplitty weren’t legit, why would these capital firms invest in its parent company (Holisto)?

So considering these few major factors into consideration, we simply can’t deny that GoSplitty is legit.

So, Should You Book Hotels Directly or Through GoSplitty?

If there is no significant price difference between booking through GoSplitty and booking directly with the hotel, there is no reason to book through GoSplitty.

However, if the price difference is significant then it depends on your personal comfort level. 

As regards to my personal recommendations, I would only recommend GoSplitty if:

• You are short of budget.
• The price difference is significant, as discussed above.
• You’re 100% sure that you will not change your mind to make changes or cancel your booking.
• You’re willing to take risks associated with booking through GoSplitty.

Besides my personal recommendations, you should follow the tips below:

7 Tips To Know Before Booking Through GoSplitty

To avoid the risks associated with booking a hotel through GoSplitty, follow these seven tips:

1. Properly Check The Pictures Of The Hotel And Its Rooms 

Before booking a room in a hotel, look for its multiple pictures and also the type of rooms it has as shown in these pictures. 

If the hotel and its rooms seem good to you, you should:

2. Read The Guest Reviews

To get an actual idea about the hotel you’re going to book with, you should read the guest reviews thoroughly before making a booking.

Always prefer to choose a hotel with 100+ reviews and a star rating of at least 4.

When you are satisfied with the hotel after looking for its pictures and reviews, you should:

3. Choose The Room According To Your Budget

After choosing a hotel, you’re given multiple rooms having different booking prices. Select the one which is affordable to you. 

4. Beware Of The Policies

In the majority of the time, customers don’t pay attention to the policies during booking which later lead to problems like unsuccessful cancellations, refunds, changes, or other issues.

Therefore to avoid such problems, make sure you’ve thoroughly read the room policies regarding changes, refund, or cancellation etc.

5. Look For The Basic Amenities You Need

Before making a hotel reservation through GoSplitty, look for its basic amenities to ensure what will be included in your booking during your stay at the hotel.

Make a booking with the hotel only if you are sure that it has the basic amenities you need, otherwise not.

6. Enter Correct Booking Details

The most sensible and important step upon which the success of your whole booking depends is to enter correct booking information during booking.

Only a minor fault in your booking information can result in major problems like unsuccessful cancellation for refunds or no changes to correct your booking information.

And last but not the least is:

7. Confirm Your Booking With The Hotel

As already mentioned above, one of the major issues GoSplitty’s customers counter is that the hotel sometimes doesn’t receive the payment or booking confirmation from GoSplitty.

Due to this issue, you may be stranded at the hotel with no room availability.

Therefore to avoid this risk, you should contact your host to confirm your hotel reservation before going for your journey to avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive at the accommodation.

There you’ve it!

By following these 7 tips, you’re unlikely to encounter any issues with booking through GoSplitty.

How Does GoSplitty Offer Cheaper Rates Than Booking Directly?

GoSplitty, by using its purchasing power, buys the hotel rooms in bulk and in advance to get some discount and then resell them to its customers over time at relatively higher prices, passing some of its commission to us.

If you are confused, consider this example:

GoSplitty, for instance, books a block of 50 rooms from the hotel at $100 per night lower than the current market rate of $150.

Over time, GoSplitty sells those rooms at $130 to its customers lower than the current market rate ($150).

So, GoSplitty gets a profit of $30 while also saving us $20. 

In this way, GoSplitty is able to offer cheaper rates than booking directly with the hotel.

Conclusion

Though the risks associated with booking a hotel through GoSplitty are high, it is indeed a legitimate booking service and often offers cheaper prices over direct bookings.

As far as booking a hotel through GoSplitty is concerned, it comes down to your personal comfort level as I said before.

Personally, I only recommend booking a hotel through GoSplitty if:

• The price difference between booking directly vs through GoSplitty is not meager, but significant.
• You are short of budget and willing to take risks associated with booking through it.
• You are sure to not change your mind for changes or cancellations.

Besides these, you must follow the 7 safety tips mentioned above to minimize the risk of issues.

That’s it from my side!

If you still have any questions or want to share your personal experience with GoSplitty, feel free to let me know in the comment section below.